Leaky Soyuz Makes Perfect Landing

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Leaky Soyuz Makes Perfect Landing

Three astronauts aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule that had been leaking helium into space landed safely in Kazakhstan on Friday, on schedule and on target. The astronauts were returning from the International Space Station, where the leak was first detected, but Russian officials said the glitch posed no danger to the crew or the craft.

Soyuz capsules use helium to pressurize fuel and move it toward their engines. The leak in the TMA-3 capsule was so minor that the crew reportedly did not need to enact any backup procedures to correct the problem. Similar leaks have been found on previous Soyuz missions, according to Rosaviakosmos, Russia's space agency.

The three astronauts, from the Netherlands, Russia and the United States, had spent varying amounts of time aboard the space station conducting experiments in biology, technology and Earth science. Before boarding the Soyuz capsule for the return trip home, U.S. astronaut Michael Foale broke the record for the longest amount of time spent by an American in space. He logged 374 days, 11 hours and 19 minutes on this mission.

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Hope for Hubble: NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe told U.S. lawmakers that a robotic mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope looked "a lot more promising" now that the agency has had the chance to review a number of proposals to keep the ailing telescope alive. The comments came during an April 21 hearing on NASA's 2005 budget request.

NASA had said in January that new safety guidelines formed in the aftermath of the Columbia space shuttle tragedy did not allow for a 2006 servicing mission to replace Hubble's gyroscopes and batteries. The mission would have required astronauts to spacewalk between a space shuttle and Hubble.

The cancellation of the mission initially doomed the Hubble to die a slow death over the next several years, as various onboard components would inevitably fail without maintenance. However, the space administration has said it will reconsider its decision if a suitable plan for a robotic servicing mission can be found.

Of the 26 proposals submitted by astronomers, universities and space industry veterans like Lockheed Martin, one will be selected for further analysis in June, according to O'Keefe. If the plan is found to be feasible, the agency could begin implementing it this fall, he said.

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Catch me if you can: A Hollywood stunt pilot used a helicopter to snag a NASA test capsule out of midair Thursday, high above the Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. The flashy show is part of a series of drills the agency is conducting in preparation for the return of a capsule from the Genesis space probe this September.

The Genesis capsule contains solar wind particles captured by the spacecraft while it was stationed 1 million miles away from Earth at a position known as the first Lagrange point, or L1. Named after Joseph Luis Lagrange, the 18th-century mathematician who first described the phenomenon, L1 is a spot between the Earth and the sun where the gravitational pull from both bodies is roughly equal. Solar wind particles reaching L1 must travel another hour before reaching the Earth.

The particles captured by Genesis weigh less than a gram and are made up mostly of hydrogen and helium atoms. The particles are being stored on wafers made of diamond, gold, sapphire and silicone. NASA officials say the helicopter capture is necessary to keep the wafers from breaking in a sudden impact upon their return to Earth.

Scientists hope the samples will help them learn more about the composition of the sun and the development of the solar system.

Mission accomplished: The Opportunity Mars rover has completed its intended mission and has been granted an extension to continue exploring the surface of the red planet until September, NASA officials said Wednesday. The extension was largely expected after NASA gave the thumbs up to extend the life of Spirit, Opportunity's twin, back in April.

Both rovers were initially scheduled to spend 90 days each scouring the surface of Mars for signs of water. But the success of the missions and the health of the equipment led to the decision to continue onward, said the space agency.

Since landing on Mars on Jan. 24, Opportunity has sent back what scientists say is clear evidence of a history of water on the planet. That evidence has come in the form of 15.2 GB of data, including 12,429 images.

The rover missions are the first step in a major effort by NASA and the Bush administration to explore Mars and eventually set up manned flights to the planet.